More than $560,000 was paid out to 12 of Julie Bishop's staff following the member for Curtin's failed leadership bid and subsequent departure from the foreign ministry to the backbench.

Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:AAP

One of the largest payouts would have gone to Ms Bishop's long-serving staffer Murray Hansen who, as her chief of staff, was on one of the higher salaries in the government.

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Labor's finance spokesman Jim Chalmers said the sum was another cost to voters of the meaningless leadership change.

"There was a price to be paid in dollars but a heftier price paid in international standing and corporate memory," he said.

"This is the price Australians are being asked to pay for the division and dysfunction which is crippling their government.

"Scott Morrison can’t explain why Turnbull isn’t PM any more and why taxpayers have to foot the bill for that."

Labor has renewed its demands that the government explain the reasons for the leadership change in August following the G20, where it was raised by US president Donald Trump and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was photographed studying her briefing notes on the latest Australian leader.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel checks her notes during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in Argentina on Saturday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Chalmers, a former chief of staff to then treasurer Wayne Swan said it was important to recognise that "discarded staffers" were also victims of the politicking.

At total of 607 staff members' employment changed as a result of Mr Turnbull's removal as prime minister with 136 staff terminated and the remaining 471 re-employed.

The details have come to light as a result of questions taken on notice during Senate estimates.